Escape To Riverview: Part Six: The End Of You, Tonight

Glade was feeling somewhat torn. Though his heart shivered with delight at the thought of seeing Lexie again, leaving Maia still made him feel uncomfortable. Each time he would hug her closely as he thought of the route their lives had taken- the struggle, the suffering, and now the resultant joy. He knew he was just being foolish- they were safe now- but he couldn't help but worry. And though you'd never know it, though Maia was only young, she knew more than anyone else of the dangers that stalked them always. She would never tell Glade though, even if she could form the words. Instead her tiny fingers grasped his clothing as he said goodbye, and when he handed her over to Kale and Heather she just watched him go and hoped he would be okay.

Inside the house, Kale and Heather watched as their friend disappeared into the darkness. Their plan was then to settle down and enjoy the evening together, but someone had other ideas...
Barely five minutes after Glade had left, Kale got a phone call that would take him away from the house. Being a ghost, as you can imagine it's somewhat difficult to get a real job, but the family still needed money. And so Kale had an unofficial job- no one knew what it was, but you can just imagine what sort of vocation a ghost might be suited for.
A few minutes after the call came to tell Kale there was a job for him to do, he said goodbye to his wife with a kiss and headed out into the night.

As Kale walked off into the distance, the disaster watched- and waited.

When Glade reached the meeting place he came to stop as he saw Lexie in front of him. The sound of the swing creaked through the cool night as Lexie played in abandon- a carefree smile lighting up her face, and Glade was captivated. Eventually she saw him and halted, a mildly confused expression playing across her features as ambled across the grass to greet him.

With Lexie within reach Glade could do nothing else put wrap his arms around her and pull her into his embrace. She folded into his chest easily and rested her head against his shoulder, putting her initial surprise at seeing him to one side for a moment. But it did make her wonder though... How had he known she was here? She had only just decided to head his way less than an hour ago, so coming across him like this was a bit of a weird coincidence.
Little did Lexie know, the meeting was more designed than either of them could have realised...

For some time after that Lexie forgot all about her confusion, and instead her mind ran with questions of a different kind. It became like any other first date- full of lingering looks and tender touches, but all the time her head swam with neurotic thoughts. They told her that it wouldn't last and that she wasn't worth it; the echoes of her past conspired to drag her down, but she knew that to live she had to let live- and allow the past to be just that.
The one who had nearly destroyed her... there would be time for that menace. For now she focused her attention on the boy who held her hand, and hoped he would not hurt her.

As the stars conspired to form a map across the skies, Lexie and Glade followed its light as it brought them together. Limbs crossed on a rusted bench, their breaths came in unison- echoing the rhythm of their blood as it pulsed. Hearts speechless with enthusiasm they sat entwined, and before long their lips reached- found the rapture.

Of course after that moment the words ended the bliss- they always do. Without speech life is simple and thrives on touch, but with the absence of silence comes chaos. Lexie only asked why Glade had decided to come to the park that night, but the instant look of bewilderment he gave her told her something was wrong. It was then that he told her- about the note he had found in his letterbox that had instructed him to come to this meeting- the note from her. But it wasn't from Lexie, and it never had been.

When Lexie told him that she had never sent him that letter he smirked at first- wondering who it was from and thinking of what a strange coincidence it was. But then the terror hit, and he felt his heart plunge.
As Glade turned and sprinted away from the scene, Lexie let out a startled sound before her legs found the power to run too. Racing off into the night, Glade and Lexie sped towards home... but by then it was 10:46, and it was already too late.

At 10:31 Heather was pacing the hallway inside her house. She and Kale had been together for so long now it felt abnormal to be apart, and every second of his absence was unnerving. It was similar to that feeling you get when you know that there's something you've forgotten- the creeping shiver that tiptoes up the back of your neck. Only... this time it was worse than before.
With her attention focused solely on Cayden and her own paranoia, Heather forgot all about Maia for a moment, and that was all the time she needed to crawl outside.

At 10.33 Heather turned and saw Maia's feet in the doorway as they slipped out of view. She started to shout then realised it wouldn't do any good- Maia was only a little girl after all. Pausing to place Cayden safely in his crib, Heather hurried out of the door and after Maia, spotted her sitting on the porch, and picked her up. At 10:34 Heather turned back towards the doorway, and saw the waiting danger.

The woman was still- her eyes deep and dark, yet reaching and deadly. Her stare haunted Heather, and she turned to put Maia down on the floor behind her; creating a barrier between the girl and the monster as she gave way to memories. Heather had lived in Riverview long enough to at least know of all the residents, but even if she didn't she would have recognised this creature anywhere. Glade's troubled description of the night he had met the vampires played through her mind, with a shadow soundtrack of alarm bells ringing.

Though she was deathly afraid, Heather spirit was strong. She had been through too much to just give up now, and so she tried to remain tall and not tremble as she prepared herself for the attack she knew was coming. At 10.36 the vampire advanced- her steps across the wooden floor seeming so large and imposing as they trampled Heather's resolve. With the teeth coming, there was nothing to do but panic.

A bite, a scratch, a wound- all words; all pointless. In the moment when the vampire's teeth pierced Heather's skin the words fell out, replaced by a scorching agony that grew and grew. The limbs became weak, the attempts to fight off the enemy became futile. At 10:38 it was over, and all that was left was the dim pulse.